UNHCR in - UNHCR Algeria - Help for refugees and asylum-seekers

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, works to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees all over the world. UNHCR’s purpose is to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge from war and persecution. UNHCR also protects stateless people. In all of its activities, UNHCR pays particular attention to the needs of children and seeks to promote the equal rights of women and girls.

In Algeria, UNHCR has two offices, one in Algiers (Country Office) and one in Tindouf (Sub Office). For contact details, please refer to our contact section.

You can contact UNHCR in Algeria for the following services:

You can contact UNHCR Office in Algiers if you would like to receive information on how to apply for asylum in Algeria and what rights and duties you have as a refugee or asylum seeker in the country, as well as services which are available to refugees and asylum seekers.
You can contact UNHCR Office in Tindouf if you have any feedback or question concerning access to services related to food, water, waste management, shelter, energy or wish to share any other general concern with regard to access to humanitarian services in the camps.

UNHCR Services are Free of Charge: There is no charge for any service provided by UNHCR, whether directly or through its implementing partners. Any person, including a UNHCR employee, or organisation claiming to be able to help an asylum-seeker or a refugee to receive a UNHCR service for money or favours must be reported to UNHCR immediately.

UNHCR in Algiers can help you to:

Receive information on how to apply for asylum in Algeria and the procedures, and what rights and duties you have as a refugee or asylum seeker in the country;
Refer you to the Algerian Office for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (BAPRA) as necessary;
Provide you with information on how to contact the competent Algerian authorities as soon as you enter the country if you intend to lodge an asylum application;
Receive and register your asylum application at UNHCR Office in Algiers and provide you with an asylum seeker certificate ;
Assess your asylum application, provide you with a refugee card if you are recognised as refugee, and protect your rights as refugee;
Enrol in school if you are in school age;
Have access to medical care and provide you with psychosocial support if needed;
Support you with vocational skills training and income-generating projects if you are a refugee;
Inform you if you wish to voluntarily return to your home country and facilitate your voluntary repatriation as refugee when security conditions allow;
Facilitating access to birth registration in Algeria.

If you wish to contact UNHCR Office in Algiers concerning any question or feed-back on accessing these services or wish to share any other general concern you may do so via the following email and phone number:

Confidential email address: [email protected]

Telephone number: (+213) 23 05 28 53 or (+213) 23 05 28 54

UNHCR main activities concerning the refugee camps near Tindouf are the following:

UNHCR provides international protection, assistance and services to the Sahrawi refugees in the five camps near Tindouf in south-western Algeria through, but not limited to:

Strengthening the protection coordination mechanisms and participatory approaches that encourage community-based engagement, self-management and empowerment, in particular for youth, women and civil society organizations;
Providing specific assistance for persons with disabilities;
Supporting the education sector to ensure access to quality education for refugee children and a safe learning environment;
Supporting the health sector, including by supporting specialist medical commissions coming from abroad to the camps;
Supporting the nutrition sector, including support to the supplementary feeding program for malnourished children and pregnant or lactating women;
Enhancing the water management system through the maintenance and repair of the existing water facilities;
Supporting the waste management system in the five camps;
Providing shelter materials to the most vulnerable refugee families;
Addressing energy needs through re-filling gas cylinders for refugee families;
Improving refugees’ livelihood and self-reliance.

If you wish to contact UNHCR Office in Tindouf for any feedback or question concerning access to services related to food, water, waste management, shelter, energy or wish to share any other general concern with regard to access to humanitarian services in the camps you may do so via the following email and phone number:

Confidential email address: [email protected]
Feedback SMS/Text number: (+213) 0661971736 (SMS only/no call-in)